DHAKA: The Bangladesh cricket authorities hope to attract Indian players to its revamped Twenty20 league to boost its international pool and raise the profile of the cash-rich tournament.

The country’s cricket governing body has taken control of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), which was launched in 2011, and will drop the franchises from the upcoming season.

“We proposed to bring in Indian players who are outside the contract of their board. They can play in principle,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan told reporters in Dhaka late on Saturday. “I am not sure if we will get them in this BPL, but hopefully we will get them in future. Will try for them in this BPL too.”

So far, three Indian cricketers — former IPL winner Manvinder Bisla, paceman Manpreet Gony and former Rajasthan Royals’ Kumar Boresa — were named among 439 foreign players for a draft for the new season.

India usually do not allow any of their players to play in any Twenty20 league outside the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).

Gony and former World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh were rare exceptions who played in the Global T20 Canada this year.

The draft was officially to be unveiled later on Sunday. Other foreigners in the mix include 95 English, 89 Pakistani, and 44 Sri Lankan players.

The BPL — which was dogged by match-fixing scandals and delayed pay for some foreign players — has been renamed the Bangabandhu BPL and will kick off on Dec 11.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019